Slave (13 page)

A person she thought was Stephan’s girlfriend. Is that what he’d told her? I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever be able to figure my new Master out.

“Diane, this is Brianna. Brianna, this is my aunt, Diane.”

He’d said to be polite so I was going to say
nice to meet you
, but before the words could leave my mouth, two arms surrounded me. Her arms were holding onto me like vise grips, and I started to panic.

The next thing I knew, I felt his hand in mine. I didn’t know why, but it calmed me enough to endure the affection I’d received.

Stephan

I’d wondered how Brianna would react to my aunt’s exuberance. She could be a lot to take at times, and it seemed that my concern was warranted. I saw the panic cross Brianna’s face moments after Diane started to hug her. It didn’t matter that my aunt meant her no harm. Brianna was scared, and I needed to give her what comfort I could, so I reached out and took her hand.

It worked. I watched as the tension in her body eased a little and before too long, my aunt was stepping back to look at her as she did me. Fearing the scrutiny would cause her more discomfort, I moved in, closing the small distance between us. My arm slid around Brianna’s waist, and I pulled her against my side.

This action on my part did two things. First, it did accomplish my goal of relaxing Brianna, but it also drew Diane’s attention. A sly smile crossed her face, and I had to suppress rolling my eyes at her. She and Richard could never have children of their own, so when I came to live with them at fourteen, she quickly did everything she could to make me feel as much love as possible.

Diane was as much of a mother to me as my own had been. She’d seen me through my grieving teenage years no matter how much trouble I’d gotten into and supported me through college. I loved her very much, but her eagerness for me to settle down made me uncomfortable. She saw the woman at my side and saw a happy future for me, complete with the white picket fence.

It was useless to try and convinced her otherwise, so instead I went with distraction. “Is Richard around?” Diane’s focus changed from Brianna to me, and I felt the woman under my fingers relax just a little more.

My aunt sighed, but then said, “He’s in his study working on something, as usual. I have a few more things to finish here and then it will be time to eat. Maybe you can go get him for me?”

I noticed my aunt’s eyes shifting to Brianna again and knew what was coming. She wanted to get to know “my girlfriend” and grill her about our relationship. My aunt meant well, I knew, but I would not break my promise to Brianna and leave her alone. So I told her
sure
and maneuvered us both back down the hallway.

Leaving my aunt like that had been rude, but I didn’t know what else to do. I knew how hard this had to be for Brianna, and I wanted to make it as easy as I could. She was trying and so would I.

Richard must have heard us coming down the hall because his eyes were focused on the door when we entered. “Hello, Stephan. Brianna,” he nodded.

She’d stiffened up again, and I rubbed my fingers along her hip, trying to offer some comfort. It seemed to work as I felt the muscles beneath my fingers give a little more.

Turning, I addressed the man who’d been my father since the day my own passed away. “Richard,” I smiled. “Diane said dinner is almost ready and sent us to get you.”

“Ah,” he said. “Very good.” He rose from his high-backed leather chair and walked over to us. His eyes discreetly roamed Brianna’s body as he made his way over to where we were standing. I knew that look. He was checking to see if she’d suffered any further damage, and I felt the anger bubble up inside me. Did he really think I’d harm her?

His eyes met mine then, and he seemed to notice my shift in demeanor. The look in his eyes turned apologetic, but it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t believe he’d think me capable of such a thing. Turning us both, I lead Brianna toward the dining room.

Halfway there, I felt his firm hand on my arm, which caused me to release my hold on Brianna. She kept walking at the same pace for a few more steps before slowing. I whipped around to face Richard, not waiting for him to speak. “Whatever it is you want to say will have to wait,” I said, keeping my voice low so that only he would be able to hear me. “I promised her I would not leave her alone today, and I will not have her thinking my word means nothing.”

I wrenched my arm away from him and closed the distance between us. She was almost at the door when I reached her, and her posture was once again stiff. I stopped her before we went in, not caring if Richard saw us or not. With one hand once again around her waist, I turned her toward me and placed the other on her face. “You are doing great,” I said and leaned in to give her a soft peck on the lips.

When her eyes came open again, she looked calm, or at least calmer, so I guided us both into the dining room to take our seats. It was getting harder and harder for me not to kiss her every time I felt the impulse. Last night was a perfect example. Just having her on my lap had been a distraction. I hadn’t thought much of it until she was sitting there pressed up against me.

Asking her to kiss me had been purely a last minute decision. I wanted to feel her lips again, and I justified it by telling myself it would give her a little sense of control while also preparing her for her role the following day at dinner. But all my justifications were just lies. Seeing her happy about school had triggered something in me. She had triggered something in me. And even now, sitting beside her, across from my aunt and uncle, the only thing I could think of was when I’d be able to touch her again.

Stephan

Having dinner with my family was something I used to do often, even after I’d left home. It wasn’t until Tami, my last collared sub, had laid bare my lifestyle on a silver platter for my uncle that I’d made my visits less frequent.

I’m not sure which word best described Richard’s reaction to the information: disappointed, embarrassed, angry, or all of the above. He’d called me at the office one afternoon and asked if I could stop by the house on my way home.

The request he made wasn’t all that unusual, even though it didn’t happen often. When I got there, however, I found Richard in his office with a strange look on his face. He had an exaggerated calm about him that reminded me of the time Logan and I’d snuck out of the house to meet up with two older women we’d met in town earlier that day.

It had taken me the better part of an hour just to calm him down once he’d gotten started, and another two hours after that to try and explain the way I lived. We’d ended the conversation in a stalemate of sorts. I knew he still didn’t like my choices, but there was nothing I could do to change his mind.

This dinner reminded me of that night all over again. Diane carried most of the conversation. She asked Brianna all the usual questions: how old she was, where she grew up, and how long she’d been in Minneapolis. All the while, Richard just sat watching. His eyes were mostly on Brianna but would occasionally fall to me, a clear look of concern in them.

My aunt didn’t seem to notice the silence of her husband, or chose not to acknowledge it, as she continued with her motherly questioning. However, her inquiries came to an abrupt halt when Diane asked Brianna about her parents. I felt all the tension return to her body and listened to her breathing stagger before she finally whispered that her mom had died of cancer three years ago.

Thankfully, my aunt realized she was uncomfortable and started directing questions to me regarding the foundation. I answered all of them, keeping the conversation flowing but also keeping my eyes and my thoughts on the woman beside me. Although I was sad that Diane’s line of questioning had upset Brianna, I had learned two valuable pieces of information: her mother was dead and she hadn’t mentioned her father. Maybe the latter was an oversight due to the gravity her mother’s death still held for her, but I didn’t think so.

I was afraid Diane would try to approach Brianna again about her mother, so I made excuses to leave as soon as possible. After helping Brianna into the car, I turned to find Richard standing in the driveway only a few yards away. Sighing, I closed the distance between us knowing he would have his say one way or the other. He did not disappoint. “Is that necklace what I think it is?”

“Yes,” I said, keeping my answer simple.

This time there was no question as to the emotion behind his eyes; he was disappointed in me. His next words put voice to that fact. “Stephan, that girl is obviously in need of help. I don’t know what’s happened to her, but what you’re doing to her can’t be helping. You have to know that.”

My temper broke at that moment, and I did not restrain my words. “You have no idea what she’s been through, not the slightest clue.” I saw him start to speak and cut him off. “Just because you examined her does not mean you know anything about her. You haven’t lived with her for the last two weeks. I have. So don’t go trying to tell me what she does and doesn’t need.”

“Stephan, she needs help. I have people . . .”

“You don’t have
people
. Your
people
would corner her and make her talk about what happened to her. You’ve seen her, Richard. She’s talked more in the last twenty-four hours than she has in the last ten days. Brianna is making progress, and I will not have you ruin that. Don’t try to get in the middle of something you don’t understand.”

Just then, I saw Diane come through the door. I was hoping she hadn’t heard anything I’d said, but my hopes were dashed when I saw her face. Turning to her, I said in the calmest voice I could manage, “Thank-you for dinner, it was delicious as always.”

Without saying another word to my uncle, I walked to my car and got in.

Brianna sensed my mood and was incredibly still. I waited until I’d settled my emotions before saying, “You did well today, Brianna. I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank-you, Master,” she said, but I noticed her posture had not relaxed in the least.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Did I . . .” She paused. “Did I do something to upset him?”

With her question, I felt my anger at my uncle come to the surface once again. She did not need this. “No. He was upset with me. You did nothing wrong.” She seemed to relax a little after that, and we finished our drive home in a comfortable silence.

The next morning, I went into the office expecting to find a load of paperwork on my desk, and I was not disappointed. What I hadn’t expected to find was Lily. “Good morning, Lily. What brings you to my office first thing on a Monday morning?”

She pushed her small body off my desk with a flair that only she could pull off and turned to continually face me as I rounded my desk and took a seat. “How’s Brianna?”

I looked at her closely, trying to find out what she was getting at when I realized that Logan must have told her my plans. “She’s fine. And yes, to answer your question.”

Lily tilted her head as she considered that. “So did it help?” she asked.

“Yes, I think it did,” I answered. “At least, she hasn’t woken me up screaming for the past two nights. I’d say that’s progress.”

She frowned. “I want to help her, Stephan.”

Although I had tons of work in front of me, I needed to talk. “I know, and I want you to. I’m just not sure how to accomplish it.”

“Bring her over to our place for dinner Thursday night.” I looked at her skeptically. Lily was not a very good cook. It was something she was working on, but I wasn’t sure if I was as brave as Logan. She must have read the look on my face because she sighed and said, “Logan will cook. I promise I’ll stay out of the kitchen.”

I pressed my thumb and forefinger to my temples as I considered my options. I knew I couldn’t keep Brianna under lock and key the entire time. She needed to get out and socialize, especially since she’d be starting school in the fall. She knew Lily, and both Lily and Logan knew the situation. “Sure,” I said with a sigh and turned back to the stack of paper on my desk. “Now, I need to get to work. Somehow I’ve got to manage to get out of here early.”

“Anything I can do? I mean I’m waiting for some quotes to come back so everything is at a standstill for me right now.”

A wave of protectiveness surged through me at the thought of someone other than me going with Brianna today, although I knew it was irrational. How had I become so attached to a woman in such a short time? The reality, however, was that if Lily was offering, I needed to take the help. Besides, I told myself, Brianna needed a friend and who better than Lily? “That would be great, Lily. Thank-you. Are you free this afternoon?”

Lily’s face broke out into a huge smile, and I could see the excitement radiating from her. “What do you need?”

The sight before me was just so funny that I couldn’t help but laugh. “I haven’t been able to get her a vehicle yet, and she needs to go to the lab near my uncle’s office for some blood work.”

“No problem,” she said.

“She’s also in charge of dinner and will need to pick up supplies.” I paused before asking, “Are you sure you don’t mind? She’s still really unsure around people, and I don’t know . . .”

“We’ll be fine, Stephan. Don’t worry.”

I held my tongue, bottled up all the worries floating through my mind, and just said, “Thank-you.”

As soon as Lily left my office, I asked Jamie to come in. I knew she had work of her own to do, but there were certain things that could not be put off. She took down the list of things I needed done, including getting both my lawyer and Brad on the phone, adding an additional user to my cell phone plan, and getting another phone, along with setting up temporary transportation for Brianna. They were things I’d normally do myself, but I was not used to having a submissive 24/7 either.

By the time the morning was over, I’d given my lawyer all the information I had on Brianna, and he assured me he would have something to me no later than this afternoon. One of the things I loved about Oscar was that he didn’t ask more questions than necessary. I arranged for Brad to spend tomorrow morning at my home and gave him detailed instructions of what I wanted. And my last call had been to set up a checking account for Brianna. She’d need money to buy the food and pay for gas.

Jamie came in shortly before lunch to tell me that the car would be delivered this evening and the cell phone was arriving via courier this afternoon. Thankfully, everything was falling into place, except for the fact I’d not gotten much of my own work done. That was what my afternoon was for.

Brianna

I spent my morning cleaning. It wasn’t like Master’s home needed to be cleaned, but I didn’t know what else to do with myself. I missed my books.

There wasn’t anything I could do about that though. I knew where they were. I’d seen him place them on his nightstand when we’d come downstairs yesterday.

But I wasn’t stupid enough to go against the punishment he’d handed out. Although I hated not having my books, I knew it could have been much worse. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t warned me.

By the time noon rolled around, I couldn’t find anything else to clean so I sat down to watch some television. I found a local news station and watched them talk about all the horrors happening around the city.

My head whipped around as I heard a key in the front door. Jumping to my feet, I rounded the couch and took my position.

Soft clicks I recognized sounded on the hardwood floor, and I looked up. Lily.

“Hi,” she said, her grin nearly splitting her face.

“Hi,” I answered back.

I wasn’t sure what to do for a second. What was she doing here? Did Master send her?

Lily’s smile turned into a smirk as she looked down at me. “You can get up, you know. I’m not Stephan.”

Oh, right.

Quickly I stood and decided to go with the fact that she wasn’t my Master and asked, “Did he send you here?”

“Yes,” she said, walking farther into the room. Picking up the remote, she turned off the television and turned back to me. “And you can call him Stephan.” She paused and then whispered, “I won’t tell him if you won’t.”

She giggled at the last part. I wasn’t sure if she was laughing at what she’d said or at me. And I didn’t know how I felt about calling Master by his given name out loud. Sure, I did it in my head sometimes, but voicing it was different. So instead I told her okay and left it at that.

“Well,” Lily said, coming back to stand in front of me. “Stephan said you needed to go get some blood work done today, and that I’m to take you to the grocery store.”

Master had mentioned the blood work last night, but he made it sound as if he was going to be the one to take me. It wasn’t that I had an aversion to Lily, it was just I’d been expecting him. Careful with my wording I asked, “So you’re going to be the one taking me?”

Her face sobered. “Is that okay?”

She looked almost sad. It just didn’t seem to fit her. “Yes,” I nodded.

Then the smile was back. “Well, okay then. Let’s get going, shall we?”

Having my blood drawn wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be. Lily stayed with me the whole time. And then, at the grocery store, she even held my hand when I started to panic after a man brushed against me.

I liked Lily. She was so nice to me even though she knew what I was. And she talked to me, asked me questions. There were so many things I wanted to ask her, but I didn’t know how.

She helped me put the groceries away and stayed while I started dinner. Lily carried most of the conversation as I worked, but I liked having her there and keeping me company.

Just before five, she said goodbye, promising to see me soon and left me to finish dinner on my own. I decided to make fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken. The sauce took a little work but other than that, it was pretty straightforward. I just hoped he liked it.

Right on time, I heard the key in the door. With a flick of my wrist, I turned the sauce to simmer and took my place on the floor.